HB-6001, As Passed House, June 22, 2004

SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 6001

                                                                             A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled                                             

"Michigan election law,"                                                    

by amending section 659 (MCL 168.659), as added by 2003 PA 302.             

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1       Sec. 659.  (1) If a county, city, ward, township, village,                  

2   or school district is divided into 2 or more election precincts,            

3   the county, city, ward, township, or village election                       

4   commissioners may, by resolution, consolidate the election                  

5   precincts for a particular election that is not a general                   

6   November election, primary election immediately before a general            

7   November election, or other statewide or federal election.  In              

8   making the determination to consolidate election precincts for a            

9   particular election, the election commission shall take into                

10  consideration the number of choices the voter must make, the                

11  percentage of registered voters who voted at the last similar               

1   election in the jurisdiction, and the intensity of the interest             

2   of the electors in the jurisdiction concerning the candidates and           

3   proposals to be voted upon.  Consolidated precincts shall not               

4   exceed 5,000 registered electors.

5       (2) A consolidation under this section shall be made not less               

6   than 60 days before a primary, general, or special election.                

7       (3) Unless the polling places for the election precincts to                 

8   be consolidated are located in the same building, when a county,            

9   city, ward, township, or village consolidates election precincts            

10  for a particular election under subsection (1), the election                

11  commissioners or other designated election officials shall do               

12  both of the following:                                                      

13      (a) Provide notice to the registered electors of the affected               

14  election precincts of the consolidation of election precincts for           

15  the particular election and the location of the polling place for           

16  the election precinct or precincts for that election.  Notice may           

17  be provided by mail or other method designed to provide actual              

18  notice to the registered electors.                                          

19      (b) Post a written notice at each election precinct polling                 

20  place stating the location of the consolidated election precinct            

21  polling place.                                                              

22      (4) If a county, city, ward, township, or village                           

23  consolidates election precincts under this section, each affected           

24  election precinct shall be treated as a whole unit and shall not            

25  be divided during the consolidation.